


Not Lost, only Found

by Lizardbeth



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death Fix, F/M, Fixing THAT scene, Movie: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Rey is Not a Palpatine, Reylo Secret Santa 2019, Skywalker Family Feels, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-17 23:27:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21951391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizardbeth/pseuds/Lizardbeth
Summary: All that remains is a vast empty cavern, and Ben. He's still laid out on the ground, and she hurries to his side. Fear gnaws at her in that uncertain moment -- what if he's gone, what if he's left her alone --but then his eyes open.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 8
Kudos: 81





	Not Lost, only Found

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [benlonely](benlonely.tumblr.com) for the Reylo Secret Santa exchange! 
> 
> Since I really, really needed to write a fix it for THAT SCENE in TROS, I did. I hope you like it and have an awesome holiday and new year!

Rey forgets Palpatine is even there. She feels the saber be taken from her hand and she watches, enthralled, as Ben Solo pulls it from behind his own head and gives a little shrug like, 'you aren't ready for this.'

And then he is unleashed, and it is _glorious_. Even as the weird cultists close in on her and she has to draw the other saber, she keeps glimpsing Ben. And it is Ben, and nothing but Ben. The Light is so bright in him that it is almost blinding, as he joins her, side by side, to face Palpatine together.

Palpatine grabs them in invisible bonds, sending their lightsabers skittering away, and lifts them off the ground. The pain is excruciating.

But Ben Solo knows pain, he knows the Dark Side of the Force, and neither have power over him anymore. He reaches out, he strains against the grip holding him in place, and his fingers brush hers.

A vision sparks, images cascading - _Ben dead, Ben alive, she's with him, she's without him, she's surrounded by children, she's alone, she's a Dark Empress, she's a Jedi, she's a woman, she's a symbol_ \- all of this is possible in this moment, she understands.

She reaches back, not just with her hand, but with _everything_ , and she takes his hand in hers. She knows what she wants, and if they die now, they will die together.

Their powers merge and strengthen, the Force is all around them tangible, and Ben holds all of it as if he was born to do this. She feels his plea in her heart, " _Grandfather, NOW."_ And together they form a gateway spun of Force energy.

A tall man with dark robes limned in blue light walks through the archway of Light, between her and Ben.

Palpatine's eyes widen. "NO!" he yells.

Ben and Rey both fall to the ground, and when they rise to their feet, the stranger glances to his right where Ben is standing. "I am sorry, Ben," he murmurs. "I could never reach you when he was blocking me."

"Grandfather?" Ben asks, and his voice chokes a little, and Rey wishes she was still holding his hand.

Anakin Skywalker, young and vibrant again, not the broken shell he died as, nods once and his smile can light up a star as he glances at Rey. "Thank you for bringing him home." His face is far less friendly as he glowers at Palpatine. "You preyed on my family. You are a parasite in the Force. Your time is finished."

"Never!" Palpatine snarls. "The Sith will rise!"

Ben flicks his hand, and his fallen saber spins towards Palpatine, who deflects it upward, but that was Ben's trick because the saber now spins and slices off appendages from Palpatine's ugly throne. "Shut up."

"NO!" Palpatine shouts and he shoots lightning from his hands. Anakin rather casually raises one hand and the lightning disperses to nothing.

Another voice, a female voice roughened with age, says, "It's time."

Ben whirls to see Leia. "MOM!"

"Oh, Ben," she murmurs and moves toward him. "I made so many mistakes, but never doubt I love you.." She reaches up to his face and he closes his eyes while she cradles his cheek. "Always."

"Mom," he sounds so broken, and all he can manage is, "I wanted-- I only ever really wanted--"

"I know," she soothes. "I know, my sweet baby boy. But it's time for healing and love, now. I see it. Thank you, Rey." Rey nods, scarcely holding back her own tears.

Luke's more familiar voice adds, "This is our destiny. Rey, Ben-- forge a new path. May the Force be with you."

Luke takes Anakin's hand and then Leia's and Rey watches as the three Force Ghosts approach Palpatine. He resists, he fights them, but he is no match for all three and the Force itself. There's an explosion of pure Force power that throws both her and Ben backward, and when she looks again, Palpatine is gone and the Force Ghosts are nowhere to be seen.

"Be at peace, children," comes Anakin's voice faintly. "It's over."

Then his presence is gone. All of it, is gone. All that remains is a vast empty cavern, and Ben. He's still laid out on the ground, and she hurries to his side. Fear gnaws at her in that uncertain moment -- what if he's gone, what if he's left her alone --but then his eyes open.

She hauls him up by his shoulder to look in his eyes. Maker, he's heavy. "Ben!"

"Is it really over?" he whispers, and his eyes are alight with wonder and... something else. Freedom, perhaps.

She nods. "He's gone. Forever."

Her hand is touching his hair and his face - he's alive, he's with her, they're together. Some brilliance floods her chest, she can't contain it, all she can do pull herself against him, her mouth to his. Finally, _finally_ , he's hers.

He seems stunned at first, but only briefly, before he lips press hers, and his hands clasp her, bringing her across his lap so they can kiss more deeply.

 _Mine, safe, home, family, forever--_ keep running through her mind and she can't let go of him.

It's his hands doing something behind her head that's distracting and she pulls away a little, confused. He's smiling as her hair falls free, swirling around her shoulders, and his smile widens with delight. "So beautiful," he whispers, and he frames her face tenderly in his large hands and kisses her again.

"Ben," she kisses his mouth, his jaw, his cheek where the wound she gave him is now vanished and she's so glad of that. She kisses everything she can reach while his hands slide back to bury in her hair. She does the same because his hair is glorious, even stiff with salt.

The frantic relief fades and they hold each other, breaths and heart beats slowing and joining in time. When she reaches out in the Force, it seems.... cleaner. As if Palpatine had been a blight on it for longer than anyone knew, and now it's restored to what it should be.

Eventually he says, "We need to go. This planet is going to fall apart soon."

She nods, but doesn't move. She doesn't want reality; she doesn't want to face any of it: Kylo Ren, Resistance, First Order - none of that matters here. Here it's only Rey and Ben. Reality threatens him, and she can't bear the thought of being separated when they only just found each other.

She feels him smile against her skin. "It's all right, Rey." She pulls up to look at his face, curious why he would say that. His smile's a little crooked.

"Well, you missed it, but it turns out Uncle Lando has ways. And he helped the former Supreme Leader tell the galaxy over all comm channels that Snoke was nothing but Palpatine's puppet and called for everyone to rise up against the old Emperor." He tells the story with a shrug as if it was no big deal, and she knows exactly where he got that attitude.

"You did? Oh Ben!" She seizes him and kisses him again. The ground rumbles and the tug of the Force grows urgent. It's time to leave.

As they rise and walk out of that place of darkness, their hands stay joined and she feels that she'll never stop smiling. Because she won. They won. They defeated evil and both of them have won their freedom.

They won the rest of their lives together.


End file.
